Radio 5AA boat people comments condemned

AN Adelaide broadcaster who said he hoped boat people would drown and then crudely berated a female journalist who criticised his comments has been condemned by the media watchdog.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found comments made by Bob Francis in two of his Radio 5AA programs in June last year offended standards of decency.

On June 4, he said: "Bugger the boat people I say.

"As far as I'm concerned, I hope they bloody drown out there on their way over here".

In a statement on Thursday, ACMA said it found the comments conveyed a contemptuous disregard for the numerous fatalities that have occurred at sea.

On June 6, Mr Francis identified a female journalist by name and job title and attacked her criticism of his comments, using "very coarse language" and made disparaging and derogatory comments about her.

They included calling her a "wanker", "dickhead woman" and "smart-arse".

"Can you believe that bloody bitch in (the newspaper) wrote that I was Egyptian born?" he said.

"What did that have to do with the whole bloody story?"

ACMA said listeners would not expect to hear a sustained, vitriolic attack on an individual broadcast on the radio or consider it acceptable or appropriate.

It concluded Radio 5AA - Festival City Broadcasters Pty Ltd - breached provisions of the Commercial Radio Code of Practice relating to decency and complaints-handling.

But it found the licensee did not breach the code relating to the incitement of hatred or serious contempt of a person or group of people on the grounds of nationality or gender.

It recommended an on-air apology be made to the journalist, which Mr Francis read out last month.

ACMA also noted the licensee suspended Mr Francis for six days from June 8 last year and he received additional training regarding the decency provisions of the Code.